The present invention relates to an improved knot securing device, that is a device that is used for locking bow knots in place, particularly but not exclusively on children's shoes and on athletic type shoes such as tennis shoes.
Conventional shoes are provided with laces or other fasteners to act as closure means. Professional athletes, joggers, young children and, in fact, all who wear shoes fastened with laces are often faced with the annoyance of bow-knots which become untied at inconvenient or hazardous times.
Ordinary laces readily loosen and become undone because they are formed of relatively smooth woven yarn materials. Only the inherent friction of the lace surface and the snugness of the knot formed by the wearer determine the period of time which a knot will remain tied. The present invention offers a simple, inexpensive means for locking bow-knots in place, and thus reduces the likelihood that a knot will become loose or untied at an inconvenient or hazardous time.
Knot securing devices are known in the prior art as illustrated by U.S. Pat. No. 4,291,439 issued to Alfred A. Riti on Sept. 29, 1981 which shows a knot-securing device for the laces of shoes and other laced articles comprising a strap having adjoining surfaces of hook and loop elements, which strap is positioned to surround and contact the knot when the hook surface is brought into contact with the loop surface. An anchoring element may be fixed to the device to secure it to the lace.
Also shown in the prior art is Design Patent No. Des. 270,779 which issued on Oct. 4, 1983 to John E. Steinberg.
Also shown in the prior art is U.S. Pat. No. 4,247,967 issued to Walter C. Swinton on Feb. 3, 1981 which shows a slip-resistant binding formed by attaching male and female-type VELCRO.RTM. strips along ends of a shoe lace or other binding material such that fasteners of opposite type automatically engage one another at every point where the lace or binding crosses.
Applicant is also aware of U.S. Pat. No. 4,282,657 which issued to Anthony J. Antonious on Aug. 11, 1981, and which shows a heel restraint with an adjustable and flexible closure assembly for shoes utilizing separable fastening members having coacting, flexible gripping elements such as hook and loop fastening means to fasten the shoe.
Applicant is also aware of U.S. Pat. No. 4,126,951 which issued on Nov. 28, 1978 to Anthony J. Antonious for a shoe closure assembly and shawl utilizing a hook and loop VELCRO.RTM.-type fastener.
The present invention provides a novel and useful shoe lace knot securing device that can be used with almost any kind of shoe that employs a lace as a closure device.